I have a friend who has a gift for building up others. Each time I see him, I know he will have words of encouragement for me—what a role model for any of us. We can follow this to make a difference in the lives of others. If you have someone like that in your life, you are blessed, but what if you don’t?
There is nothing that builds me up than spending time with the Lord in His word, where the Lord tells me that He loves me and gave His life for me. John 10:17The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded. [1]
The Lord loves you so much that He died for your sins on the cross so you could receive forgiveness. In addition, He calls us to faith, to have a personal relationship with Him, and spend eternity in heaven upon our death. The Lord wants you to be someone who builds up others.
What Joseph and his Brothers Can Teach Us
Sometimes there are stories in the Bible that show the reality of poor choices so we can learn from them and not make the same mistakes. Joseph and his brothers had a poor relationship with each other, which was compounded by the way they interacted with each other. Instead of building each other up, they were easily offended by what they said and did. Joseph had a dream from God and is so eager to share it that he does not think about how his words would affect his brothers. How could Joseph have handled this differently? What did the Lord teach him through this experience?
Genesis 37:5 One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. 6 “Listen to this dream,” he said. 7 “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” 8 His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. [2]
How Can We Build Up Others?
An easy way to build up others is to encourage them with words and actions. In addition, another way to build up people is to listen to what that person is telling you. We can also be someone who offers support as a friend. Also, we can focus on the positive. We can motivate each other through positive affirmations.
To hear more about building up others, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/refining-josephs-dreams
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jn 10:17–18). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ge 37:5–8). Tyndale House Publishers.